Will Moms See Amazon Dash as Help or Hype?

By: Lisa Dolbear

Director, Account Planning, Insight

04.01.2015

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The Amazon Dash button is here, and it will offer some interesting data on the Holy Grail consumer: moms.

Since the button is for use on only a handful of products (which, when taken as a whole, seem to hark back to the housewife of the 1950s — Yahoo listed participating brands as Bounty, Tide, Gillette, Olay, Glad, Clorox wipes, Cottonelle, Huggies, Gerber formula, Lärabar, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Maxwell House coffee, Gatorade, Izze, Smartwater, L’Oréal Paris and WellPet pet food), usage analysis of the button might tell marketers which is more important — convenience (I need this product, I push the button, I get this product), or brand loyalty (I need this product, but there’s no button for the product I prefer, so I don’t care about Dash).

The fact is, according to a 2014 Moms and Media survey by Edison Research, nearly 70% of moms own a smartphone, and 83% of smartphone-using moms keep their device within arm’s length most of the time. That means they pretty much already have a Dash button in their pocket to purchase whatever product or brand they choose. While the Dash button eliminates the need to go to the Amazon app and “1-Click” shop to buy a product of their choice, that might not be enticing enough to sway a mom who uses Dreft, for example, to start using Tide when she does the laundry.

According to the 2015 Mintel Trends report, 40% of consumers would like to buy technology products that easily connect to the products they already have. Amazon Dash certainly fits the bill — it’s the latest novelty item in “The Internet of Things” using one’s home Wi-Fi to seamlessly connect needs and technology in real time. It also satisfies the ever-growing expectation for instant gratification and provides the thrill of having another “thing” to showcase our identity as shopper. Instead of having a keychain robust with plastic tags for the stores we frequent most, we can have a home festooned with Dash buttons on our walls and appliances.

It will be interesting to see if the Amazon Dash button will change purchase decisions or behaviors among moms. Will the participating brands sell more product as a result of the technology? Will certain types of products be better suited to Dash than others? Which ones, and why?

Marketers should pay close attention to how (and if) moms go for the Dash button. There’s a potential to see behavior change that could greatly benefit the way brands talk to their audiences, and better serve their customers.

Now — where’s the Dash button for the wine? That’s what THIS mom is wondering.